Written by Dr. Troy Camplin
|
03 April 2008
Why Libertarians Are Annoying
I love my fellow libertarians, but sometimes enough is enough
By Dr. Troy Camplin
One
of the most annoying things about most libertarians is their refusal to
acknowledge human beings are a social mammal. In their push for individual
rights, social life is all too often trampled underfoot. Undoubtedly this goes
back to the writings of Ayn Rand and her support for rational self-interest,
which too many take to mean a firm rejection of community. Too many
libertarians equate community and social life with government, and thus reject
much social life itself or even any kind of organization. But what if
libertarianism in fact creates community? What if it leads us to much stronger
social structures? If you find this counterintuitive, then you join almost
everyone in thinking this – including many libertarians.
The
source of all community is rooted in the social bonds created in the family. We
organize in families to keep our lineages protected. Strong and healthy
families are those we found in love, respect, and freedom. If we’re free to
choose our mates, and we are healthy, independent people too, then we will
found a strong and healthy family. When we’re free to raise our children and
provide them with an education rooted in good values, then our families will be
stronger still. The way we treat our families, when we extend it out to others,
is the basis of all ethics. Social bonds and moral actions both derive from
family life. The fact is both must freely come from individuals, which means
that social bonds develop from the bottom up and do not come from being imposed
by others from the top down. This was recognized by many wise men in the past,
including Buddha, Jesus and Confucius. If we do to others as we’d have them do
to us, then we’ll be better off and live a moral life. But we must recognize
that this must come from individuals to work and cannot be imposed. It’s up to
you how you would choose to help yourself to live this way. If you’re the kind of person who would
like to reinforce the rules of ethics in your life, then church or temples,
mosque or synagogue may be just right for you. Besides, organizations such as
these do help expand our social bonds, including more within our social
circles, making us more moral.
Now it is illegal for my wife's grandfather to sell anything. In fact, he and his neighbors are only allowed two yard sales a year, and they have to get a permit for those. Apparently a little old man in his 80s named Jesus is too much competition for the HEB store down the road. And isn't that what local governments should be doing -- protecting corporations from the predatory trading practices of octagenarian Mexican-Americans living on a fixed income?